The Retina Reference

Blunt Trauma - Paintball Injury

The 14 year old boy whose right fundus is shown in this image was shot in the right eye with a paintball gun. He was not wearing protective goggles. The yellow arrows indicate multiple choroidal ruptures in the peripheral retina, which appear as light colored streaks. These are associated with multiple small subretinal hemorrhages. A vitreous hemorrhage is shown at the green arrow. It obscures the underlying retinal vessels. A peripapillary subretinal hemorrhage is shown at the blue arrow. The retinal vessels are seen coursing over the top of this hemorrhage, which is a reliable clue as to the retinal layer involved. It is probable that a choroidal rupture underlies the subretinal hemorrhage. As the hemorrhage slears, it should be revealed.